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3. "The Society, recognizing the necessity for isolating in hospitals persons
ing from infectious disease who have not proper lodging or accommodation
enabling them to be properly treated at home, and isolated so as to prevent
the spread of disease to other persons in the same house, affirms the desirability
of an extension of the powers contained in the 26th section of the
Sanitary Act, 1866 (124th section of the Public Health Act, 1875), so as
to secure the removal to hospital of the infective sick not possessed of
lodging or accomodation enabling them to be properly treated and
isolated.
4. "The Society empowers the Council to bring the above resolutions under the
notice of the President of the Local Government Board, in such manner
and at such time, during the current Session of Parliament, as they may
deem expedient."
Action of the British Medical Association.—I may further
state that having been invited to attend a meeting of the Parliamentary
Bills Committee of the British Medical Association, on
the 11th March, called to consider an exhaustive report by the
Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Ernest Hart, dealing with the
provisions of Bills now before the House of Commons, and promoted
by the Health Authorities of Aberdeen, Barrow-in-Furness,
Birkenhead, Bradford, Reading, Salford, and Stalybridge, for the
purpose of obtaining the compulsory notification powers, and
sundry others, including, in several instances, the increased
powers of removal referred to in the second resolution of the Conference.
I availed myself of the opportunity to bring under the
notice of the Committe the desirability of depauperising hospital
relief in cases of infectious sickness, and of affording such relief in
suitable cases without enforcing payment from the sulferers; the
result being that the Committee, and the Medical Officers present
by invitation, agreed unanimously to the following resolution, which
corresponds with the third resolution of the Conference, viz.:—
"That the admission into hospitals, for the purpose of isolation, of persons
suffering from infectious diseases, is eminently desirable in the interests
of the public, and should be encouraged; that payment for the assistance
given in hospitals to persons so suffering should not be enforced; that
the giving of such assistance should not entail on the recipients the loss
of any social or political status where their admission into hospital is
certified by as being desirable on the ground of difficulties of
isolation, and that the cost of hospital treatment of the infective sick
should be made a charge on the public funds of the Sanitary Authority."